SCOTUS

(supreme court of the United States)

I know very little about Sotomayor, but the thing that's come up thus far that interests me is her comment that a Latina woman can make a better decision than a white male, all else equal. That does bother me to a point, but i will give her the liberty of this -- a Latina woman and a White male can make a better decision than two white men or two Latina women. For this reason, I support Obama nominating someone on the basis of identity issues. Is it unfair to a male candidate in this cycle? Sure. But we've had several years in power and still hold a massive majority throughout government and industry. Once the court is 5-4 of even 6-3, then that can go away. At this point in time, however, I do like a nice diversity of backgrounds on the court.

empathy? sure. In the words of John Stewart, "BE A F&*%ING PERSON!"

Green Day

I've read half a page of the

Rolling Stone

profile of Green Day who is getting ready to release a new Rock Opera, 21st Century Breakdown. I've never really listened to Green Day at all, but through what I've read, here are the names mentioned in the article: Pete Townshend, John Lennon, George Harrison, Bruce Springsteen, Keith Moon, Charlie Watts, Kurt Cobain, and Bob Dylan (The album is compared to The Clash's London Calling and The Who's Quadrophenia). The references are waaaaay too thick to be ignored. Is Green Day -- GREEN DAY -- in that category? I need to know if this is an album that I will need to pick up.

Home

Bah
I've tried to write an interesting reflection on second semester/being home about three times. It hasn't really worked.
So. Blah blah home thursday at 3 waffle house sat around hockey waffle house airport (GO CANES) Star Trek Sleep late Unpacking Camp June 14 good seeing home people miss school people miss freedom parents good but annoying I annoy them too blah blah blah.

Since this is stupid, I'll go ahead and post...

Something funny


Something interesting

As Obama moves to revive the stalled Middle East peace process, Monday's meeting has been widely predicted to be a tense affair, but that may be overstating the drama. Netanyahu, like any Israeli prime minister, has an overwhelming incentive to get along with Israel's single most important ally; Obama, for his part, needs to fashion a peace process that produces results, for which he requires Netanyahu's cooperation. So Monday's encounter won't be a showdown as much as the opening exchange of a difficult conversation that could continue for months.

And something in between

Newsweek: And the last movie you saw?
PBO: Now, movies I've been doing OK [with] because it turns out we got this nice theater on the ground floor of my house … So Star Trek, we saw this weekend, which I thought was good. Everybody was saying I was Spock, so I figured I should check it out and—[the president makes the Vulcan salute with his hand].

Most interesting part of all of this -- "the house." Is this guy actually a normal human being? Even if he's not, he's trying really, really hard. There's nothing resembling a messiah complex there from what I'm getting, unless I'm just not trying hard enough.

not miss california

way too early

So Benji decided that he needed to wake up at way too early o'clock to study, but needed to snooze his alarm twice.

Guess who decided to stay up late studying, but then can't get back to sleep?

So i'm up blogging, facebooking, and listening to Dire Straits



I'll probably go park in Deet's and start a coffee fueled statistics marathon a couple hours earlier than I'd planned.
ugh.

EDIT: The Killers (heard of them, don't think I've ever heard them except maybe on Pandora) covered Romeo and Juliet. It is TERRIBLE. There is no passion in the vocal or edge on the guitar. Those are the two things that make the Dire Straits version good. WTF? Don't listen to it. It's not worth it. How did they get famous???

Good read

I found this interesting.

it’s the same old stuff religious apologists have been croaking out since the days of Bertrand Russell — namely that because science is inadequate to explain the mysteries of existence, faith must be necessary. Life would be meaningless without religion, therefore we must have religion.

I actually heard him on ESPN talking to Bill Simmons earlier in the week, and he's a pretty interesting guy. I disagree with a number of his arguments, but still found them to be worth considering. I may try and respond later, but I still have seven chapters of Acts and about half of Hebrews to study before hockey.

I will give you an argument about logical arguments as a form of evangelism written by David Kinnaman in a book I'm reading right now, which I highly recommend.

Most people, by personality, are not logical thinkers and are not likely to change their beliefs because of elegant argumentation or apologetics. Of course, some outsiders are wired this way, and thoughtful responses are particularly important for articulating Christianity's remarkable ability to address all aspects of life. Culture is shaped by ideas and worldviews, so do not underestimate the proper role of good thinking, logic, and intellectual engagement. However, most people do not become Christians because of the overwhelming evidence.

I'll try and expand this later

Benji

So I think benji is explaining to me how bobby jindal is going to save the republican party. I'm listening to hockey on my earphones and have no idea what he's saying, but he's still talking.

Eric Staal just scored. 4-1.

Jussi Jokinen is my homeboy.


EDIT: Tripp Tracy just said that Tim Thomas has been left on a castaway island. I'm glad I finally got a feed of John and Tripp instead of roll-on deodorant Pierre McGuire. Oh, how I've missed them.

Divisiveness

I read a hockey message board. It's a nice break from studying, besides facebook, youtube, and wikipedia (Don't worry, mom, I think my test this morning went really well).
The Hurricanes have some siren thing that they get some kind of celebrity to sound before each game. Tonight, it will be Sid Lowe, NC State's Basketball Coach. This was someone's response:

Couldn't we find someone less divisive locally? Maybe John McCain, Sarah Palin, Barack Obama, Barney Frank, Rush Limbaugh, Governor Sleazely, Ahmadinejad, etc, rather than making us choose sides among ACC coaches?

I'd go ahead and add Dick and Hitler to that list.

The only problem with this one is that I anticipate the Carolina fans liking him more than State fans because he keeps State sucking. Think Al Groh.

After The Goldrush

Well, I dreamed I saw the knights
In armor coming,
Saying something about a queen.
There were peasants singing and
Drummers drumming
And the archer split the tree.
There was a fanfare blowing
To the sun
That was floating on the breeze.
Look at Mother Nature on the run
In the nineteen seventies.
Look at Mother Nature on the run
In the nineteen seventies.

I was lying in a burned out basement
With the full moon in my eyes.
I was hoping for replacement
When the sun burst thru the sky.
There was a band playing in my head
And I felt like getting high.
I was thinking about what a
Friend had said
I was hoping it was a lie.
Thinking about what a
Friend had said
I was hoping it was a lie.

Well, I dreamed I saw the silver
Space ships flying
In the yellow haze of the sun,
There were children crying
And colors flying
All around the chosen ones.
All in a dream, all in a dream
The loading had begun.
They were flying Mother Nature's
Silver seed to a new home in the sun.
Flying Mother Nature's
Silver seed to a new home.

-Neil Young, 1970

"Economics...

...is a tool to shape the kind of society we want to live in. It's not a straight jacket"

Prof. Nick Tideman

I've really come to this view lately, but my Public Finance professor articulated it extremely well. I think Americans and especially the GOP would do quite well to come around to this way of thinking as well, rather than constantly pushing growth at all costs. Wealth is certainly desirable, but so are a lot of other things. When we are Richer, we have more freedom, more power, and more opportunities, all things that are excellent if used responsibly. However, If we are not making money ethically or as a society boxing people out of productivity, then we might want to take a second look at that action. Does that make me a Marxist? Hell if I know. I don't really care that much. More Americans have heard of him than Smith and Keynes combined.